(3aR)-1,3a,8-trimethyl-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indol-5-yl phenylcarbamate and methods of treating or preventing neurodegeneration

Abstract

The invention includes an amount of (3aR)-1,3a,8-trimethyl-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo[2,3-b]indol-5-yl phenylcarbamate for administering to a subject and also a method of preventing or treating neurotoxicity or neurodegenerative processes in a subject in need thereof using the amount thereof.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of ameliorating Prion's disease in a human patient, comprising administering a pharmaceutical composition consisting of posiphen or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in an amount from about 0.1 mg/day to about 30 mg/day together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients, on a once a day basis to a human patient suffering from Prion's disease. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein posiphen or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered orally in an amount from about 1 mg to about 30 mg on a once a day basis. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein posiphen or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered parenterally in an amount from about 0.5 mg to about 30 mg/day. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein posiphen or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered intravenously in an amount from about 0.1 mg/day to about 25 mg/day. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein posiphen or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is administered intramuscularly in an amount from about 0.3 mg/day to about 30 mg/day. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peak plasma circulating level ranges of posiphen are from about 10 ng/mL to about 160 ng/ml in the human patient. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the peak plasma circulating level of posiphen is reached within about 6 hours after said administering the pharmaceutical composition. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plasma circulating level of posiphen is equal to or greater than about 20 ng/mL for at least 9 hours after administering the pharmaceutical composition. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the administration results in a brain level of posiphen that ranges from about 4 to about 10 times the plasma level of posiphen in the human patient. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the half-life of posiphen in cerebrospinal fluid after administering is about 12 hours. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the half-life of posiphen in plasma after administering is about 5 hours. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition is selected from the group consisting of tablets, capsules, caplets, pills, gel caps, troches, dispersions, suspensions, solutions, syrups, granules, beads, transdermal patches, gels, powders, pellets, magmas, lozenges, creams, pastes, plasters, lotions, discs, suppositories, liquid sprays for nasal or oral administration, dry powder or aerosolized formulations for inhalation, and a composition for intravesical administration. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition inhibits the production of prions in the human. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the pharmaceutical composition inhibits the production of prions in the human. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the Prion's disease is selected from the group consisting of scrapie prion; transmissible mink encephalopathy (TME) prion; chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion; bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prion; feline spongiform encephalopathy (FSE) prion; exotic ungulate encephalopathy (EUE) prion; kuru prion; Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) or Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD, nvCJD) prion; Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome (GSS) prion; and fatal familial insomnia (FFI) prion.